Often hailed as the greatest British comedy ever written, Michael Frayn’s Noises Offfeatures backstage and onstage disasters, slapstick and non-stop hilarity from a company of actors rehearsing a flop called “Nothing On”.
Doors slamming, on- and offstage intrigue, and sardines all figure in the plot of this uproarious comedy.
The play will be staged at The Playhouse Theatre in Somerset West from Wednesday 30 August to Friday 8 September at 19:30, with only a matinée at 15:00 on Sunday 3 September and no show on Monday 4 September.
The idea for Noises Off came to Frayn when he was watching one of his productions from the wings and found the action backstage far more interesting than what was happening onstage. This three-act play follows the mishaps and shenanigans of a second-rate cast as they rehearse (act one), perform (act two) and destroy (act three) the British farce.
In Act 1 the audience is watching the final dress rehearsal as the hapless cast struggle to get through the show with the first performance hours away. In Act 2 the audience are backstage – literally in this production, as they will be sitting on stage behind the set – watching the chaos as the relationships of the cast deteriorate midway through the show’s run. In Act 3 the audience is back in the auditorium watching the final performance of the run unravelling, as love triangles collapse and sardines fly all over the place.
“If you don’t end up with a laughter-induced stomach ache I’ll eat the sardines,” said director Bryoni Currin, who has directed numerous shows at the Playhouse Theatre, including last year’s The Sound of Music and The Little Mermaid in 2021.
Added Darryl Spijkers, chairperson of The Playhouse: “The Playhouse Theatre audience will love this joyfully out-of-control farce featuring an underrehearsed and over-worked cast and crew creating drama more personal than professional.”
V Tickets are available online through Computicket. For block bookings of more than 10, send an email to bookingoffice@theplayhousetheatre.org.za.
